Jesus and Me ... and the Cats

Luke 2:1-7 It happened in a stable, among the animals and in the hay.  There wasn't a Christmas tree with twinkling lights and shiny ornaments.  A glass of milk and a plate of cookies weren't waiting for him.  Yet, it was the most important birth in the history of humankind. It's easy to lose the spirit of that first Christmas among the shopping and decorations and the television Christmas specials (animated and live) in the midst of all the trouble and turmoil of modern events.They all make Christ's birth seem so distant and removed from our own reality.  For some, it may not even feel like Christmas, and this year, we all yearn for hope. So, tonight, let's return to the manger with open hearts and minds. Luke 2:8-14 Imagine.  You're standing on a hilltop in the Judean hills just outside of Bethlehem.  The night sky is clear, and the air is chilly. On the night air comes the sounds of bleating sheep and the voices of shepherds talking and laugh...

Matthew 1:18-25 Last week, every day was Monday.  Every day, something unexpected happened to interfere with my to-do list, my plans and my routines.  What can I say?  The best laid plans of mice and men and pastors often go awry. When Joseph heard that Mary was pregnant, before he understood the circumstances, he made a decision on what he was going to do.  Being a faithful Jew, Joseph was going to follow the religious tradition and end their engagement.  But being a man of faith, Joseph chose to be merciful and planned to do it quietly so not to cause any trouble for Mary. He had committed himself to a plan of action, and then he had a dream. If Mary's story asks the question "how?", Joseph's story asks the question, "What?  What happens when God changes our nicely laid plans?" Human beings are such creatures of habits, routines and plans.  In the TV show, "The Big Bang Theory," the character, Sheldon, is an extreme example of  this. ...

Luke 1:26-38 The new movie, "The King's Speech" has brought to the world the story of King George IV of England.  This man who took the throne of England reluctantly, suffered from a debilitating stutter, chronic health problems, and graduated at the bottom of his class at the Royal Naval Academy.  He wrote in his diary, that when he told his mother, Queen Mary, that his brother Edward had abdicated, and that he would become king, he "broke down like a child and sobbed."  He was filled with fears and doubt. I know there have been times in my life that after the excitement of a promotion or a new job opportunity wore off, I've had doubts about my qualifications and abilities.  I asked myself, "What have I gotten myself into?  How am I ever going to be able to do this?" New, expectanbt parents, once the reality of impending parenthood and all it's responsibility hits, wonder, "How am I suppose to care for and raise another human being?...

Isaiah 9:6 John 11:17-35 (As I prepared for  an upcoming Blue Christmas Service ...) Thirty or so years after the angels, the stable, the shepherds, the star and the wise men, Jesus received the news that his friend, Lazarus, was dying.  Jesus took his time in arriving at Bethany for purposes known only to him and His father.  He knew how this particular story would end, but Mary and Martha, Lazarus' sisters, and their friends did not.  The end they witnessed was Lazarus' death, and they wept with grief over their loss. Jesus, knowing that rejoicing was on the way, had no reason to cry, but John 11:35 tells us "Jesus Wept."  But he stopped, gathered Mary and Martha and all their neighbors and realitives in with his compassion and love and shared their pain and their sorrow. God in human flesh, whose birth we celebrate each year with lights and laughter and parities, wept with them. I realize that this is a strange story to share during the Christmas s...

On Black Friday, I find myself longing for snow days as we officially plunge into the frenzy of the holiday season. Growing up in central Michigan, snow days sometimes turned into a snow week.  The game of Monopoly that started on the weekend turned into a week-long marathon of wheeling and dealing, passing Go and collecting $200.  During the winter, there was always a jigsaw puzzle in process.  Cards were shuffled and dealt, and in the evenings, I listened to the gentle slap ... slap ... slap of my father playing solitare.  If the sun was shining, and the wind wasn't blowing, Mom bundled us up and sent us out the door because, "It's just too nice a day to be sitting inside in front of the television."  Funny, she said that during the summer, too.  Off to the hills in my uncle's pasture behind our house we would go, racing down on sleds and acorss the pond at the foot of one of the hills.  And then there was one winter when we got a ice storm so bad ...

Last night, Harley discovered the pull chains on the ceiling light/fan.  Far beyond her reach, she circled underneath it, crying, and frustrated.  This morning, after we were all up and ready for the day, I found her curled up asleep on the piano.  I suspect she spent most of the night trying to get at those pull chains. As soon as she was awake, it began again.  So I lifted her up so she could play with the chains for a few minutes.  I know, I've probably started something I'll regret later, but it reminded me of something very important. Sometimes, I feel like God calls me to do things that are just beyond my abilities, or I try on my own and just fail miserably.  But it is God's grace through Jesus Christ who lifts me and supports me so I can do and be that which is more than I am.

February 17, 2016 What follows is my original introduction.  My concept was to have a dialog, an exchange of theological ideas and shared expressions of God showing up in our lives.  What it has become has been more of an offering of my sermons along with those musings that will never make it to the pulpit. A lot has changed since I started this blog.  I have been appointed to another church and  gone through big changes in both my personal and my spiritual life, especially in the pursuit of holistic health.  My sanity remains intact because of the monthly day retreats at a spiritual center two hours away.  It is a sabbath practice that helps me break the routine and step away for a time of solitude, prayer and pondering. As noted in an update from this last summer, Blondie died, but Harley remains with me.  She is still very energetic, but she is maturing into being my calm, non-anxious presence in the midst of change and challenges.  She c...